USCIS announced on April 9, 2012 that it received 17,400 regular (bachelors degree) H-1B visa petitions (quota is 65,000) and 8,200 Masters (quota is 20,000) when the quota opened on April 2nd. Although quotas were far from reached, 17,400 regular petitions is almost three times the number received in the same period last year (5,600). 8,200 Masters petitions is almost double the number received in the same period last year (4,500).
Last year the regular quota was reached in November and the Masters quota in October. The above figures indicate that the demand is up this year and the quota is unlikely to last as long as it did in 2011.
See the Wall Street Journal article here, or please email us if you require further information.